The Analyzing of Ticci Toby by Timothy Wright

Entry #13

Tobias is making progress in his health. It's been two, almost three, days since Jack brought him home half dead, and he's managed to stay wake up a few times, answer some questions. Ann says he has a mild concussion, and would be fine.

The theory is that he was on his job and was taken by surprise. Probably got hit with a heavy object, and the attacker used his unconcious, or semi-conscious, state against him to try and kill him. Whoever it was didn't seem to know about his mark, so most of the resident killers were absolved of accusations.

Kate and I retrieved his goggles and mask the other day, and she's finished patching up his jacket. He's wearing them now, goggles loose around his neck as Kate helps him into the jacket. It's the first time myself and her have been around him while he's awake. Jack had gotten lucky three separate times.

I'm distracting myself by writing in here, saying I have work to do but want to know he's okay. Ann just gave me a look and is now checking on him. Toby, of course, is just watching all three of us, clearly uncomfortable.

I wonder if it's because he's still shaken up, or if it's his paranoia, maybe even an aversion to skin to skin contact. I'll ask later, I don't want to make Ann feel guilty.

Kate's been making nervous clicks for ten minutes, and it's calming to know we're all worked up over this, not just myself.

Ann has cleared him to be mostly fine, good enough for a proxy anyway. I want to disagree, but it's not my place. Slenderman will have my head if I don't get Tobias back into working. He's taken a lot of hits to his work and, while Kate, Brian, and I all take up more to give him breathing room, a proxy who doesn't work is no use.

I can tell Toby knows that. He looks emotionless, too calm for someone experiencing trauma.

Kate and I have taken him upstairs, regardless of his protests. He might not need to be watched, but I doubt Kate will let him out of her sight for the next few hours. I let her into my...our? Our room. They've climbed into my bed rather than Toby's own, but I just sat down and started writing again. I can't think, or speak, so this will have to do for now. Perhaps I'm in shock? That's a funny idea.

Jack is gone, hunting supposedly, and Brian was sent out to find traces of Tobias' attacker. A threat is a threat, no matter who was attacked. Slender wants it eliminated, and Brian took my place. The man is a saint.

Okay, I can't really drop this. It's stuck in my head, so let's just talk about it.

I don't think Toby likes to be touched.

This is something I've never considered, but that makes a somewhat reasonable amount of sense. He wears turtlenecks and his sweater all year round, jeans too, and thick cotton gloves. He almost always has every inch of his skin covered, face included. Ann touching him made him look cornered.

Thinking back on it, he's flinched away from Brian before, we'd had to stitch his wounds up in the past.

If this is true, his actions before are even more confusing. He takes his hood down, removes his mask and goggles around me. Hell, he slept in the same bed as me.

Sure, he's doing the same with Kate now, his head resting in her lap as he curls around her. It still makes sense though. She knows him more than the rest of us, and he trusts her a lot. Of course, having her touch him wouldn't be a problem.

It's not unfathomable to assume this theory is true. Maybe I'd know for sure if I'd read his patient logs. Aversion and possibly violent reactions to contact wouldn't have been missed in an asylum.

Asylum.

Fuck, I know how to find out.

Jeff and Toby were both kept at the same hospital for a while, he would probably have heard something about a patient with violent reactions to contact.

I'll ask him as soon as Tobias falls asleep, before I leave for my job tonight.

https://who-am-i-1104.tumblr.com/post/186197170676/ticcimask-playlist

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As this fic nears the climax, what would you want from it? Would you like there to be an out of book scene where it's Toby and Masky talking? A chapter thats a collage of random moments throughout the book? What do you want from Toby and Masky?

Also, my tumblr is up and yeah. I'm linking to my tumblr post up above where I did a TicciMask playlist. Thanks to people who suggested songs a while back. I listen to all of these when I write.

Don't forget you can message my tumblr, or ask anon questions about any of my fics. I'm always happy to answer questions.